M41A1 (Japan)

This page is about the light tank M41A1 (Japan). For other versions, see M41 Walker Bulldog (Family).

▅M41A1

▅M4A3 (76) W

Type 60 SPRG (C)

▅M41A1

▅M4A3 (76) W

Type 60 SPRG (C)

Japan

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.0	6.3	6.3

Class:

Light tank

Research:54 000

Purchase:185 000

Show in game

Description

The Light Tank M41 SDF was part of the second defense build-up plan, introduced to enhance the self defense capability of the JSDF. Japan also developed its own domestic tanks, such as the Type 61 MBT and the Type 60 APC. The M41s were supplied by the Americans to replace the obsolete M24, while the Type 61 took over the role of the M4A3 (76) W.

It was introduced in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai" along with the rest of the initial Japanese Ground Forces Tree. It shares its performance with the American M41 Walker Bulldog. The playstyle of the M41A1 returns to the M24 after the previous medium tank in the line, the M4A3: shoot and scoot. The 'Bulldog' is best utilized as a flanker with its respectable 76 mm gun and high speed and manoeuvrability. Since the ammunition available is solid shot (no explosive filler), an idea of the internal layouts of the tanks it faces is necessary to make the shots count. At its current BR, it will regularly face American, British, Soviet, and in arcade battles, German heavy tanks, and anything it meets, including self propelled anti-aircraft vehicles will be able to reliable penetrate the M41A1's armour, so utilization of the terrain to maximize cover and good situational awareness is a must.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull31 / 25 / 19

Turret25 / 25 / 25

Crew4 people

Visibility88 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	25.4 mm (60°) Front glacis 31.7 mm (41-46°) Bottom glacis	25.4 mm (0-48°) Front 19 mm (0-48°) Back	12.7 mm (57°) Top 19 mm (33-38°) Bottom	19 mm
Turret	25.4 mm (1-68°) Turret front 31.7 mm (1-53°) Gun mantlet	25.4 mm (2-29°)	25.4 mm (1-25°)	19 mm
Cupola	31.7 mm	31.7 mm	31.7 mm	19 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are both 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 9.5 mm thick

There aren't any specific targets worth noting as the M41A1 will be hurt by pretty much anything. Be extra careful with SPAAs as they can knock out the Walker Bulldog's components with ease and even destroy the tank.

If at all possible, try only to expose the turret. If using the terrain to the M41A1's advantage, it'll usually be able to fire one to three shots, then start moving forwards and backwards, thus making it a lot harder for the enemy to hit the tank. Generally, the M41A1 be able to get in two shots on most targets before they can fire back, and the M41A1 accelerates from 0 to 30 km/h fast enough to become a hard target to hit if only the turret is exposed!

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB81 / 21 km/h

RB and SB73 / 19 km/h

Number of gears4 forward

2 back

Weight23.1 t

Engine power

AB954 hp

RB and SB500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB41.3 hp/t

RB and SB21.6 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	81	21	23.1	775	954	33.55	41.3
Realistic	73	19		442	500	19.13	21.65

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 272 → 3 099

RB2 793 → 3 809

SB3 644 → 4 970

Total cost of modifications47 200

85 800

Talisman cost1 500

Crew training52 000

Experts185 000

Aces710

Research Aces480 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

110 / 140 / 180 %

166 / 166 / 166 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210 Suspension Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 120 Brake System Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 120 Filters Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 195 Transmission Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210 Engine Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210	Improved Parts Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210 Improved FPE Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 120 Crew Replenishment Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 195	Horizontal Drive Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210 Adjustment of Fire Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 120 Airstrike Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 120 76mm_usa_M32_APCR_ammo_pack Research: 1 800 Cost: 3 300 120 Elevation Mechanism Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 195 76mm_usa_M32_APDS_ammo_pack Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 300 195 Artillery Support Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210 Improved optics Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210 76mm_us_M361_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 210

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm M32 cannon

Ammunition65 rounds

First-order11 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

7.6 → 5.9 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

76 mm M32					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	65	-10°/+20°	±180°	-	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	7.67	6.79	6.25	5.90
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M339 shot	APBC	177	173	159	143	129	116
M352 shell	HE	15	15	14	12	12	12
M319 shot	APCR	206	200	174	146	122	103
M331A2 shot	APDS	300	296	278	256	237	219

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M339 shot	APBC	975	6.6	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
M352 shell	HE	732	6.8	0.2	0.1	867.22	79°	80°	81°
M319 shot	APCR	1,234	3.2	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
M331A2 shot	APDS	1,257	2.81	-	-	-	75°	78°	80°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M361	713	7.1	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M41A1 (Japan)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
65	45 (+20)	12 (+53)	1 (+64)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Rack 3 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 11 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
• This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 1 - 2.
• If you pack 15 (+40) shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.
• Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready rack 3. If the ready rack is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-3 into rack 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

Optics

M41A1 (Japan) Optics
Which ones	Default magnification	Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics	X7.5 (Estimated)	X8 (Estimated)
Comparable optics	AMX-13 (SS.11) (X7.5) , AMX-30 (X8)

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition2 200 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 70°

Horizontal guidance-60° / 60°

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition5 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	2,200 (200)	575	-10°/+70°	±60°

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,000 (250)	500	-	-

Usage in battles

Like the tanks that come before it, the Bulldog should be used as a rapid-deployment support vehicle in conjunction with heavier vehicles. It is best used to run rapid insertion and flanking operations while allowing the heavier tanks absorb the brunt of the enemy attack. The Bulldog's top speed does cap off-road, requiring good knowledge of the map to make the most of the terrain.

Always remember that the Bulldog lacks any effective armour. In a frontal attack, it will be easily penetrated by almost anything the enemy throws at it. Try to use the terrain to hide the tank and relocate after shots. Also, attempt to engage targets who are busy or already engaged with a teammates. The Bulldog's 76 mm gun has great penetration, but due to the solid shot AP rounds it has it is necessary to make each shot count by hitting either ammo racks or fuel tanks/engines to disable and or destroy an enemy vehicle. Equipping HVAP rounds later on makes it easier to destroy vehicles with better side armour such as the IS-3 which has a fairly strong side profile.

Tactics

The Bulldog is best playing a mobile role; trail the outskirts of the map and take shots at the enemy from a distance and keep relocating. Don't stand still for too long as one or two hits are usually enough to completely disable the tank.

While playing this tank, the biggest concern should be not to get hit by anything. Given its thin armour, anything that the Bulldog is facing will be able to deal heavy damage. In summary, the Bulldog is a very manoeuvrable tank and with practice is a very potent threat to enemies.

If up against heavy tanks, such as the Tiger II (H), don't bother trying to hit its front chassis armour even with APDS. The chances to penetrate this tank's upper glacis are very low. It is better to try and either ignoring him or aiming for his lower glacis and turret. Should the round penetrate the lower glacis, the transmission is likely to catch on fire. When attacking the turret, aim for the gunner on the left (player's right) of the gun. After that, disengage as the gunner will be replaced faster than the M41A1 can reload. Fighting off heavily armoured targets takes a lot of practice, but the gun's accuracy and good penetration can be used to the M41A1's advantage.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Extremely agile tank
• Top speed of 72 km/h
• Fast turret traverse (30.6°/s)
• Fast reload rate
• Respectable firepower when loaded with APDS
• APDS has high muzzle velocity, easy to hit targets at longer ranges
• Good flanker, but if the momentum is lost, it's over
• Good suspension; can drive away from steep downhills and jumps
• .50 cal AA machine gun with good coverage

Cons:

• Low torque; without a downhill run, the tank won't reach higher speeds than 50 km/h
• Thin armour, even SPAA tanks will take the M41A1 out given the opportunity
• Its poor engine is its biggest weakness, makes it a bad scouting unit
• Ammo storage in the front, next to the driver
• APDS shot causes only punctual damage (aim carefully)
• No explosive filler on any AP shells
• Quite tall for a light tank

History

Development

The U.S. Army light tank in the later part of World War II, the M24 Chaffee, was a promising design but was deemed not effective for the future of armour encounters. Though its role as a scout was seen as needing the 75 mm gun, the army wanted a tank with a better gun to have a more equal chance against tanks. The project began as the T37 program in 1947 with the focus of being air-transportable with an anti-tank capability in the form of a 76 mm gun and a rangefinder. The adoption of a simplified rangefinder had the project designation changed to the T41. After testings and evaluations, the T41 model was accepted into service as the M41 Little Bulldog, with production starting at Cadillac Cleveland Tank Plant in 1951. The name "Little Bulldog" stayed until General Walton Walker, the first commander of the 8th US Army in Korea, died in a car accident, so the tank was renamed into the M41 Walker Bulldog in remembrance. Production went from 1953 to somewhere in the late 1960s with about 3,728 units produced.

The M41 light tank would go on to replace the M24 Chaffees by 1953. The M41 had a crew of four, commander, gunner, loader, and driver. The tank had a profile of under 9 feet and 19 feet long. The tank was lightweight at 23.5 tons and thus had rather thin armour, with the front armour only 25.4 mm thick (sloped at 60 degrees for about 50 mm effective). However, the tank was very agile with its torsion bar suspension and Continental AOS 895-3 series 6-cylinder gasoline engine of 500 hp which could deliver a road speed of 45 mph with a 100 miles operating range. Unfortunately, the tank was criticized for being noisy, a fuel-guzzler, rather heavy, and the American crewman found the Bulldog interior to be quite cramped. Despite that, it delivered speed, firepower, and reliability in a light tank format. Several upgrades were made on the M41 with better technology, the M41A1 had a hydraulic turret traverse with more ammo storage, the M41A2 had a new fuel system, and the M41A3 are old M41A1 tanks with the new fuel system from the M41A2.

Japanese Service

In 1961, the United States gave 150 M41 Walker Bulldog tanks to the Japanese Self Defense Force to supplement their new and heavier Type 61 main battle tank. These would see service all the way until 1981.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M41A1 (Japan) from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Japan light tanks
Type 89	I-Go Ko
Type 95	Ha-Go · Ha-Go Commander
Type 98	Ke-Ni
Other	Ka-Mi
IFV	Type 89
RCV	Type 87 RCV (P) · Type 87 RCV · RCV (P)
MCV	Type 16 (P) · Type 16 (FPS) · Type 16
USA	▅M24 · ▅M41A1